


Sole purpose of my day

by Remus (King_Loki_Laufeyson)



Category: 00Q - Fandom, James Bond - Fandom
Genre: M/M, No clue where I'm going with this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-06
Updated: 2012-12-12
Packaged: 2017-11-18 03:33:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/556432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/King_Loki_Laufeyson/pseuds/Remus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Q and Bond...not much else I can say.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

James Bond was one of the few agents to actually use the pool MI6 had installed on site, or well, at least at 5am. He regularly came down here a few times a week when he wasn't on a case to take his mind off of things for a while, lose his thoughts in the methodical strokes, the lengths like paces. There were so many pools in the area and he could quite as easily have gone to any of the others although the temperature in the MI6 one was usually kept at a steady 28 degrees Celsius, not too hot and not too cold. Well that was usually.   
Today on this frosty Tuesday morning in early November 007 had entered the pool and started on his regular regime of 100 lengths before he started work. He had reached about his 36th length when the pool got cold. Very very cold. He tried to persevere but when he started loosing sensations in his extremities he gave up and climbed out of the pool heading towards the changing rooms. 

He didn't need to look up to know who would be waiting for him as he headed towards his locker finding it locked. 'Q' He said before looking up into the face of the smug Quartermaster 'Please tell me why you felt the need to mess with the temperatures in there. Assuming it was you of course.' He glanced at him before wrapping the towel around his waist and heading towards the steam room. 

'Of course' replied the younger. 'My system, my rules, although you will be surprised to hear that my day isn't entirely dedicated to derailing yours. M wants to talk to you.' 

'M? What does he want?' Bond asked, pausing in his steps. 

'I think it's better if he told you himself. His office 10 minutes.' Q said before throwing Bond a pair of keys and heading out of the locker rooms and inevitably towards his rapidly cooling tea.

James sighed and shook his head, catching the keys and looking at the number before chuckling. At least it solved the mystery of who had temporarily adopted his locker. He opened it and grabbed the towel and his suit, changing quickly prior to heading upstairs. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

M sat in his new office, watching the early risers get their coffee and head to their desks, bags under their eyes. He sighed and sipped on his tea, glancing over the days news. Nothing of any major interest, that information would probably come from Q-branch or one of the many research departments. He opened his laptop, waiting for 007 to turn up. Q had managed to convince him that he could get the man up to his office in time, M was dubious but as long as Bond arrived within a few minutes he would be fine. 

The tap on his door told him the surly agent had arrived. 'Come in.' M called as the other man walked into the office, he motioned for him to sit. 

'What do I need to know?' Bond asked as if he was being sent on a mission. M chuckled.

'Oh no, this is a very different conversation. As you're probably aware you failed to pass all your tests last time around. Due to a judgement call made by the last M you were allowed into the field. As the new M I am revoking that privilege. Until you are able to pass the tests, especially the psychological evaluation you are to stay here. I'm assigning you to the Q-branch. I'm sure you can preoccupy yourself there.' 

Bond started to stand as if to protest his new work arrangements. 'No complaints or I will not hesitate to fire you. You may have been one of our best agents once 007...not any more it seems.' 

Q appeared at the door. 

'Ah great timing, Q I'm sure you'll find a suitable Job for Bond here. Bond. You report to Q. Any problems ask Q or leave.' M said, his eyes and attention returning to the newspaper. 

Bond stood and nodded before leaving the office. 'If you think for one second I'm listening to you-' 

'Well as the future of your career depends on it I think you should at least try.' He smirked. 'Here, let me show you your desk.'


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Earl Grey, Milk, no sugar.'

On the first day Bond spent most of his time wavering between wanting to kill himself and wanting to kill M. He had woken in the morning, early as he usually did and had headed into work. But, instead of going to the gym or doing something he deemed productive he took the walk down to Q-Branch. He hadn't known what to expect but when he walked into the currently near deserted office to see Q sitting at a desk fiddling about with some wires he instantly was hit with the realization that he had no clue how to do most of the things Q could ask him to do. Not like he was going to do them anyway.

  
He walked up to the younger man and watched what he was doing for a few moments. 'Morning Bond. I trust you slept well?' Q said, not looking up from whatever the hell he was doing. Bond gave a grunt in reply. 'What am I doing here Q?'

  
'I wouldn't have pegged you to be one for an existential crisis Bond although you have surprised me before.' Q replied, completely deadpan. The 00 agent rolled his eyes. 'Why Q-branch? Why not something else. I'd rather do the mail! At least I'd get to be active in some way.'

  
The Quartermaster didn't reply for a few moments, finishing off what Bond now could see was a hard drive before putting it into the computer he was at. He then stood and looked up at Bond for the first time that day. 'I was the only one who would have you.' He said simply before heading up to his desk, grabbing a mouse and a keyboard.  
Bond watched him, curious. He wasn't hugely surprised that the Quartermaster had volunteered to 'baby sit' him for the time being but for him to be the only one? He didn't know if he should be flattered or offended.

  
As he was thinking Q plugged in the keyboard and mouse before logging in. 'Login and password are here.' Q said, scribbling something down on a post it note and sticking it on the table. 'Just...login and try and see if you can make sense of anything.' He said before walking back to his desk.

  
Bond sighed and sat in the chair, seemed like he would need the bulldog after all. He typed in the details and clicked enter and the computer system flared to life numbers and information covering his screen. He stared at it obviously recognizing numbers but having no idea what they meant. After about 5 minutes of just staring blankly at the screen he spotted a shadow over him. 'Really?' Q asked his eyebrows raised. 'Nothing?' The other man sighed when Bond just looked at him before speaking. 'You know my skills Q, this is not it...at all.' Q nodded. 'Shame.'  
'What do you mean?'  
'Well you've just volunteered yourself as the department's coffee boy.'  
'The what?'  
'You heard me, you need to try and pass the tests anyway, can't practice if you're doing real work.' Q said pushing his glasses back up his nose.  
'What you don't think that I'm not as good as I was? M seems to think I'll never pass them.'  
'Well you better had do.'  
'Why?'  
'Because you're the best agent we have. It's that simple I'm afraid.'

  
There was a pause as Q stopped talking and Bond thought.

  
'Earl Grey, milk, no sugar.' The younger man said, holding out his scrabble mug. 'Do try and be fast.'


	3. Chapter 3

Weeks passed like this, Bond redid the tests once during this time and was told to at least train for 4 months before he could try the tests again, he was irritated and all of Q-Branch could tell. His job was mundane, it followed a regular pattern:  Get to work, Get Q's tea, give it to Q and wait for futher instructions, follow instructions, mope about...etc. It had become an endless cycle that he thought would never end. Well he thought it wouldn't.

The day when 007 entered Q-Branch to find it devoid of bespectacled hipsters with a penchant for knitwear he knew something was wrong, very wrong. After a quick search of the nearby rooms and multiple texts he nearly hurtled out of the basement of MI6, leaving the mug on the top desk as headed straight to M's office and pounded the door until the hinges started to protest. After a shout to stop and the sound of someone moving from the room the door swung open to reveal quite a dishevelled M. 'What on EARTH are you doing Bond?' 

'Q isn't in.'

'What?' The head of MI6 replied, his brow furrowed. 

'I can't find Q and he's not answering his phone.' Bond replied, putting emphasis on the letter that represented his current bosses' name. 

M just looked at him a mixture of emotions dancing in his eyes, his face staying the calm facade it always was. 'Go downstairs, let R know he'll get things started and I will be down as quickly as I can.' 

Bond nodded and headed downstairs, hearing the sound of a phone being picked up from behind the wooden doors and muffled conversation the words 'Q' and 'Missing' standing out amongst the mutters. 

The relief he felt to find R standing at Q's desk just looking at the mug was surprising. 'Q's missing' Bond said. 'I gathered' came the short reply from the man who, despite working for Q was quite older. 'M said you'd know what to do.' R nodded, sending a quick e-mail to the whole of Q-branch demanding their immediate presence. 

* * *

30 minutes later the search was on, the whole of Q-branch had arrived and had similarly been as worried about Q's disappearance as James had been. He was standing up at the top desk next to R who was frantically typing away. The man was good yes and was probably very highly qualified, but no one was as good as Q and no matter how hard the other man tried, he just couldn't even get past Q's security on his computer. He gave up quite quickly then, annoyed that he wouldn't have access to many programs made by Q himself that would be perfect in just this scenario but resigning himself to his own much less protected laptop. 

After the echo of typing became just a constant prescence rather than the irritant it usually was for Bond, R finally managed to find a few leads. He projected the information up onto the main screens. All of Q's past interactions and purchases appeared on them along with CCTV images that ranged from a few days ago until the previous night. Bond directed R, telling him which files to look at and started piecing together the information they had found. 

M joined them after a quick debrief of the more senior members of MI6, he had suggested the possibility that the Quartermaster had been kidnapped and had been presented with the unanimous decision that if necessary, 007 could be temporarily returned to duty. He technically didn't need permission but if there was an inquiry at least now he could say it hadn't been a singlehanded choice. He did keep the information to himself though, he hoped against all hope that it wouldn't need to happen, that Q would find his own way out of whatever mess he had found himself in. Even if he had been kidnapped. 

Q-branch was in frenzy and many of the admin staff had migrated downstairs to help in the search. Everyone was at a computer or laptop and typing as if their lives and their jobs depended on it. This collaborative work had built up an image that slowly caused James Bond's heart to sink into his stomach making him decidedly sick. He grabbed the tea, downing the now luke warm liquid, hoping that the small amounts of caffine and the apparently 'calming effect' would help stop hismelf from over reacting. Q was, despite appearances, quite able when it came to self defence and he was pretty sure the man could talk himself out of anything. It just pained him to think what whoever had kidnapped him would do when they realized the young man wasn't ever going to cooperate. 'I think I've got something.' Everyone's heads turned to R who in turn was looking at his laptop.

'Put it up on the screens then!' M said, the hint of panic in his voice barely concealed below the icy surface. 

007, M and R all looked at the screens, it was about an hour and a half after Bond had found that Q wasn't in the building and they had found suspects and a potential location for the computer geek. 'It seems you may have to temporarily resume service Bond.' Mallory said simply, looking up at the details they had gathered with the information they had. 'I technically shouldn't be allowing this but due to the fact you are the only agent that is currently in the country you're going to have to do.' He looked at 007 and sighed, R nodding silently behind him. 

'I'll be fine. I've done this kind of thing before.' Bond said, his nerves calming when he was told that he would be able to do something about this instead of standing here, useless. M nodded 'Just be careful. Do you have anything you need?' 

'I need a gun.' Came the reply, to which 007 and M turned to R. The man shrugged. 'Q kept Bond's gadgets away from everything else, claimed it was so that he couldn't get his hands on them without permission.' R stated, motioning to Bond as he spoke. 'We weren't told where they were.' 

Bond sighed, crouching and searching through the cupboards in Q's workstation as the rest of the department searched elsewhere. After a few moments of searching silence suddenly reigned over Q-branch. 007 stopped, not sure what could make them all stop like that at a time like this. He turned and saw Q wander in, headphones securely in his ears, starbucks mug in his gloved hands. 

The Quartermaster looked up sharply as the earplugs were pulled out by a now quite furious Bond. 'YOU BLOODY IDIOT!' He shouted causing Q to wince a bit. 'WHERE WHERE YOU?!' 

'My alarm broke during the night.' The younger man replied, turning and only just clocking the fact that everyone was there. Everyone. 'Why what happened?' 

M sighed, quickly taking his phone out of his pocket and dialling a number, walking out of the room quickly. 'What?' 

'You will never do that again. Understood?' James said sternly, relief shining through the anger. 

Q nodded, realizing that this would probably be a story for another time, when Bond was much less tense.

'Tea?' 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deck the halls with boughs of holly!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: I wrote this whilst half asleep and haven't read it yet so apologies if there are mistakes.

Everyone had to admit; Christmas in Q-branch was always an extravagant and generally quite childish affair. On top of that, the whole of MI6 could agree that they most definitely had the best decorations.

That was Q's fault.

On December the first Q arrived in late (this time with a warning e-mail just in case), his arms full with a stack of boxes that he dumped unceremoniously onto a spare desk. He opened them and announced that work would be suspended until the boxes were empty. After a general murmur from the newer employees and some shared grins between the people who had been here last year, they set to work. 

This meant that when James Bond walked into his temporary office the raised eyebrow was not due to Q sitting under a table with wires or something of that sort. 

'What on Earth are you doing?' He asked Q, who he had found standing on top of a table trying to stick some tinsel to wall. The younger man turned with a smile. 'Decorating, grab some more tinsel, I'm running out here.' 

'Does M know about this?' 007 asked, genuinely concerned for the mental health of a few employees who were sticking paper snowflakes to each other and nearly killing themselves with laughter. 

'Yup, he authorized it last year, took that as presumptive consent for this year.' He smiled then motioned to the box. 'Well go on then, silver not blue, that's for the desks.' He called after the agent who was seriously debating taking his holiday early. 

Q had finished with his current tinsel when Bond returned. 'Come on get up.' He said motioning to the table next to him with a smile. After a small hesitation Bond stepped up onto the desk and passed the Quartermaster the length of Silver. The elder's blank expression was returned with a wide grin. 'Thank you dear.' He smiled, standing on tiptoes to continue the layer of decoration that was slowly making it's way around the perimeter of the room. 

'Why are we even doing this Q?' The sullen agent asked, looking around the room with an air of disgust. 

'Because it's Christmas' Came the reply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, which, to the younger man's credit, it was. 

'Yeah I got that but here? Can't you just decorate your home?' 

'Well at home I don't have grumpy 00's to cheer up now do I?' Q responded with a smirk as he took another string of tinsel from James' arms. 'And anyway, I don't get a tree, pointless when it's just me. At least here you can actually spread the 'magic of Christmas.'' He smiled before turning to face the room. 'WHO HAS THE BLUETAC?' He called, his voice only just being audible over the ruckus caused by the rest of Q-branch. 

Someone piped up in the corner of the room before throwing it towards his general direction. He caught it with one hand but lost his balance, flailing his arms to stay upright until a solid arm was under him, pushing him back until he was steady. 'Thank you James.' Q said with a smile before breaking off a bit of the aforementioned adhesive and dropping the rest onto the table. 

After about an hour of decorating and cleaning up the stray tinsel strands from the floor, Q-branch was filled with festive cheer. The boxes were empty and the walls were plastered with their previous contents. Q smiled, leaning against his desk drinking from his christmassy mug. (Q mug with tinsel on the handle). 

Bond was standing next to him in what had become his usual spot, watching everyone work until obviously a memo had been sent by someone. Everyone looked up at the pair and a couple of people sniggered. Q raised an eyebrow before looking up and chuckling. 'Seems someone has a sense of humour.' He said as he continued to watch the mistletoe before looking at Bond who was smirking back. 'Ah now that's better.' He said with a grin that was followed by a quick peck on the lips and a cheer from some of the more enthusiastic newbies. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas!!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone up for some Q-centric Angst cause I know I am!

Q stood at his desk, working away on some blueprints for a camera that would definitely be element proof. Too many agents were accidentally drowning their cameras or setting them on fire, it needed to be fixed. 

It was also one of those rare times when Q wasn’t typing away. He had swapped the computer for traditional blue paper and chalk. If he was honest it was actually quite cathartic. 

On top of that it was quite late, nearing midnight and everyone had already left. Q didn’t mind, this was his favourite time, when he was awake and able to work in peace and quiet. It was rare for him to be interrupted by anything. 

That’s why he jumped when the phone rang. 

He looked at it suspiciously, not sure if he should pick up or not but seeing as they had managed to get the land line number for Q-branch he assumed it was another agent. He walked over to it and picked it up. ‘Hello Q.’ He said leaning against his desk a bit as he spoke. 

‘Q..’ 

He recognized the voice, it was that of someone who worked with his sister, Ethan he thought his name was.

‘Yes?’ Q replied, now worried. 

_‘Q I’m terribly sorry to say this but your sister…she has died.’_

Q blinked a few times. ‘What?’ He asked, the possibility of mishearing the other man quite high considering the time.

_‘I’m so sorry for your loss Q. It was about an hour ago. She was hit by a car near her home, she was dead before the ambulance had arrived. I’m so sorry.’_

The Quartermaster shook his head, now steadying himself on the bench instead of casually leaning against it. 

‘Who told you?’ He asked, not wanting to accept it until he knew it was from a reliable source. 

_‘I was there.’_

Q took a sharp breath in stopping the tears from coming instantly. ‘Thank you for letting me know.’ 

‘ _We’re all here for you if you need anything, I’m sure M will let you take some time off.’_  

‘Thank you’ Q said again, his tone filled with anything but gratitude. He put the phone down, took another deep breath then collapsed. After a few moments of just lying there he moved curling up with his back against his desk, the tears running freely now. 

His sister, Violet. Vi. She had gone, 34 and dead. His brain ran through all of the things he wished he had told her, all of the moments he wished he could have reminded her of. They all came flooding back now, fueling the pain in his chest. 

He let them build, all the emotions and the memories gathering together until he let out a cry of anguish, letting everything out in one loud wail. 

He heard footsteps coming and he closed his eyes, trying to block people out in the hope that they would just ignore him and leave him there where he was free to cry and grieve without people asking questions. He had run out of luck. The footsteps came closer, speeding up as they probably saw him sitting there, his eyes firmly closed. 

‘Q?’ came the soft voice he recognized instantly as Moneypenny’s. He opened his eyes to see her crouched in front of him. He leaned forwards, sobbing into her shoulder. ‘What’s wrong?’ Came her soft voice. 

‘Vi, she’s dead. She died in a crash and she’s gone.’ 

Q heard Eve’s gasp and then felt her lean forwards, giving him a hug and letting him cry into her. ‘It’s ok Q. Everything will be ok.’ She muttered quietly as she rocked him a bit. 

When the Quartermaster finally stood it was with dry eyes and a sense of loss. Eve forced him to go home, threatening to follow him just in case. He didn’t argue though, there was nowhere he would rather be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments by the way guys they really are great!! :D Also sorry that this one is so short, next one will be both much happier (hopefully) and also be much longer!!! (Ideas really are great aren't they).   
> Ciao   
> x


	6. Chapter 6

'Please try and cheer up?' Moneypenny suggested to Q on the way to the work christmas party. The comment recieved a sulky glare from the other. 'Really? A week and you want me to cheer up?' 

'Well it is Christmas and you either cheer up now or Bond will force you to drink until you're singing the national anthem at the top of your voice like you did last year.' 

'I did  _not_ do that!' Q said, eyebrows raised. 

Eve shook her head, knowing better. 'Well then, just don't let Bond find you.' 

Q rolled his eyes, knowing that was impossible. 

* * *

When they finally got to the venue Q got out of the car and headed in with Eve. 

The Q-branch christmas party was always a small affair, hiring out a local pub for the night until everyone goes home. Sadly not the same for the MI6 christmas party. 

Claridges, entirely booked out for the night, rooms for those too drunk to stumble home and the function rooms for dancing, socializing and generally just enjoying other people's company. Dress code: Formal. 

Q rolled his shoulders a bit in the stiff coat, linking arms with Moneypenny as they were greeted by the doormen, they walked through the revolving doors into the main entrance hall where quite a few people were gathered before they moved into the other rooms. Eve said her apologies and headed off to talk to some of her friends in the office and Q was left, standing against the wall watching everyone. 

Barely anyone in Q branch came to this party. He only came as head of the branch and as a special favour to Moneypenny who had now apparently abandoned him for the night. He was seriously considering leaving when a champagne glass was presented quite unceremoniously to him by a certain 00 agent. 'Fancy seeing you standing alone in the corner like you always do when you come to this.' Bond said, standing next to the Quartermaster before looking at him with a smirk. 'Why not change things up a bit and come with me?' 

Q just looked at him, eyebrows raised. 'So I can stand there while you 00's boast about your talents?' He asked, snarky already, not a great start. 

'Who said I was going to take you to see the 00's?' Bond said before chuckling then heading off, weaving in and out of the scattered members of MI6. Q sighed and followed reluctantly, curiosity getting the better of him. 

* * *

Three flights of stairs and a backtrack later Q found himself in the Davies Penthouse standing by the door watching Bond lean over the bar inside the suite reaching for something stronger than champagne no doubt. 'What are you doing?' Q said with a sigh that was part exhaustion, part exasperation. 'Getting something to drink, what do you think I'm doing?'

'Being antisocial?' Q suggested, and he wasn't wrong. They had just left the rest of MI6 downstairs while they were upstairs about to have a drink. 

'Oh come on, like you of all people care about being antisocial.' Q sighed, the man had a point. 

Bond straightened up, his eyes lit up as he showed Q the bottle he had rescued from the bar. Q smirked and shook his head at how much the other man looked like a kid in a candy shop. 

'What?'

'Oh nothing....why did you go to all the trouble of leaning over the bar when you could have just jumped over the counter?' 

James shrugged and opened the bottle, motioning for Q to come over with his now empty champagne glass. 'Ah whisky in a champagne glass, how classy.' He watched as Bond poured out more than enough for the both of them. 'To being antisocial.' Bond said, holding up his glass in a toast. Q halfheartedly lifted his own glass to meet the agent's.

Bond then jumped up so he was sitting on the counter top of the bar. 'So, why is our Quartermaster so depressed? From the way you decorated your office I was under the impression you liked this time of year or was that truly just to annoy me?' 

Q leaned against the bar, taking a few sips of his whisky before looking up at Bond. 'Long story.' 

'We have hours.' Came the actually quite stern response. 

The Quartermaster sighed, he had avoided telling many people that didn't know already. Of course everyone at MI6 would have heard of Violet's death but only a handful of people actually knew they were related. 

He cleared his throat. 'Violet Carter, died last week, she was hit by a car on her way home from work.' Q said, trying not to let his voice hitch in his throat. 

'Yes?' Bond said, 'are you really this caught up on that?' 

The glare that the agent recieved in response to that would send a trainee in Q-branch running. 'She was my sister.' 

'Oh.'

The bespectled man nodded and took another sip of his drink. 

'My condolences.' Bond added, his tone now definitely the closest Q had ever heard it come to comforting. 

'Thank you.' 

James nodded. 'Right ok, here's what we're going to do. I know it's not healthy and definitely not wise but this is for you and you will drink it all by the end of the night.' Bond said, handing Q the nearly full bottle of Whiskey. 

Q raised an eyebrow.

'Yes you will drink it all and yes I will force you to drink it if you don't do it willingly.' 

'You really are insufferable sometimes you know.' 

* * *

 A couple of hours, a bottle of Whiskey and a few Vodka shots later found Q sitting at the piano located in the corner of the suite, his fingers running quickly across the keys. Bond stood, watching the other man's hands, an eyebrow raised. 'What is this song again? I recognize it but the name excapes me.' 

'Moonlight Sonata, Third movement.' Came the reply, impressive seeing as there was no pause or hesitation in the music. 'You are really good at this. I never knew you could play.' 

Q smirked, 'Considered it as a possible career path when I was younger but quickly realized I preferred computers.' The piece came to the end and Q was smiling. 'That never fails to cheer me up.' He said with a nod before heading towards the door. 

'Where are you going?' Bond asked the younger man. 

'Home?' 

'You are aware that you could spend a night at Claridges free of charge?' Q nodded. 'And you choose to go home?' 

'Well yes.' Q said, his mind starting to fog over from the effects of the drink. He was tired and needed his bed. 

The other man shook his head, amused as he got up and locked the door, pocketing the key. 

'Fine.' The Quartermaster replied before heading to the main bedroom. He could hear Bond was following behind and grinned at the sound of the other man's frustration when he closed the door in his face and locking it. 'You don't let me go home, you find another bed.' He said, a smirk playing across his lips before he undressed and got into the four poster, falling asleep to the sound of Bond's irritation. 


End file.
